Wavy Hair Essentials

How to Get Waves

Soft waves are one of those beauty mainstays (like our beloved braids) that look good all year round. But as with all evergreen beauty trends, they require a little bit of tweaking each season to stay current. We’re not talking beachy waves here, although it’s no secret that we love a good beach spray for summer. No, we’re thinking of the complete opposite: the softest, most undone curls possible.

The brilliance of the soft wave is that it looks completely effortless, but you (and everyone else on the street) know it’s not. Why does this matter? Because it means you can pair the style with any number of looks from day to night, and it never looks too fussy or too unstyled. Like we said, it’s brilliant.

The desired look takes some careful styling, but if you do it right, you’ll be left with the most enviable summer style ever. And it’s not just for those with long hair; a slight wave on short hair can make you look so much more pulled together. Unlike beach hair, this isn’t a style that will come together in minutes, so be prepared to wake up a little earlier in the morning—we know it’s easier said than done, but we promise it’ll be worth it. We’ve assembled everything you need to get the perfect waves in our slideshow above, so get out those credit cards and click away.